From: David Masover <ninja@...>
Date: 2009-12-01T11:55:41+09:00
Subject: Re: one more regular expression, please

On Monday 30 November 2009 08:07:26 pm J. mp wrote:
> I have the follwow string
> 
> ++((100))++askjasdjksjdkasdkjk++((200))++skdjsjd
> 
> I need a reg expression that extracts only the first number inside the
> first ++(( ))++ and ignore the rest..., in this case I need to return
> 100

Since I can't figure out why you'd ever want to do that in a real app, I have 
to ask: Is this a homework assignment?

Well, I'd rather not assume, so I'll give you a partial answer: Regular 
expressions don't return things, they match things. You can't write a regular 
expression (that I know of) which will match only what you're asking for, 
unless you assume things about that specific string. Especially in homework, 
assuming things like that is a Bad Idea.

There is a solution, and it includes regular expressions, but they are not the 
whole story.